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One World with Zain Asher
CNN Granted Access to Key Island in Bab Al-Mandab Strait; 900 Plus Dead, 4,000 Missing after Catastrophic Nepal-China Floods; Oil Prices Rise After U.S. & Iran Trade Fire for 1st Time in a Month; Trump: U.S. to Control 65B Barrels of Venezuelan Reserves; Jury Deliberations Resume on Whether Mother is "Criminally Responsible" for Killing Three Children; NASA Launches Mission to Investigate Cosmic Mysteries. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired August 31, 2026 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ZAIN ASHER, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: All right, coming to you live from New York. I'm Zain Asher. This is "One World". Ahead on the show, U.S. and Iran
trade strikes near the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first major military escalation in a month.
Nepal says more than 900 people have been killed in the deadly flooding. CNN is on the ground. And the U.S. and Venezuela strike a landmark oil
deal. What it could mean for both countries. All right, we begin with renewed fighting in the Middle East as U.S. and Iran trade strikes, marking
the first significant military action between both sides in a month.
Tehran fired missiles towards American military targets in Jordan and the UAE on Sunday after the U.S. initiated an attack. It comes after weeks of
relative calm and just days after President Donald Trump declared the Strait of Hormuz free from mines. U.S. Central Command, meanwhile, says it
took action after observing Iran preparing to launch rockets armed with mines from Larak Island into the Strait.
As Tehran and Washington exchange fire Trump initially posted about his renovation projects, and earlier today he did acknowledge Iran, calling it
a failed nation while using an expletive word to describe what he said were war crimes. Iran's President, meantime, took a different approach,
according to state-run media, saying that Tehran still pursues an agreement with the United States.
All right, turning now to the Bab Al-Mandab Strait, where the southern end of the Red Sea meets the Gulf of Aden, another crucial maritime corridor in
the Middle East. It could turn into a new front in the Iran war. Iranian- backed Houthi rebels are threatening to cut off this crucial choke point and cement control over it.
The move would also give Tehran a foothold in yet another one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. CNN's Nic Robertson had exclusive access to
an island in the Strait and has this report.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: We're in the village of Bab Al-Mandab. Right behind me is the Bab Al-Mandab Strait. That's the Red
Sea, as you said before. It comes down from the north, all the way from the Suez Canal, all the way to the Gulf of Aden, all the way out into the
oceans.
And this has been a bypass. This sea here has been an oil bypass for the Strait of Hormuz. Saudi has been pumping its oil to the Red Sea coast,
sending it out. This is how a lot of oil gets to Asia. But there's been a simmering civil war here. There's been a sort of a local war for over a
decade, and no one really pays so much attention to it.
But it's really getting front and center on the geopolitical stage. It's turned this waterway here into a potential political liability for
President Trump because, as you say, Iran uses the economic pressure of shutting off the Strait of Hormuz to oil, so the price of oil goes up, and
that puts political pressure on President Trump.
While Iran's most powerful proxy, the Houthis, here in Yemen. And when I say powerful, they control the capital. They're not a ragtag force. They've
got hypersonic missiles. They've been firing missiles more than 1000 miles into Iran. They have very sophisticated missiles that can hit shipping out
at sea, here.
They've been targeting and hitting Saudi oil tankers recently. And there's been over recent weeks a significant increase in Houthi attacks along this
area in Yemen. And it appears to be a specific drive to get the Houthis in control of the Red Sea, of this bit of sea behind me, Bab Al-Mandab Strait.
I was on an island a couple of hours ago, just a few miles offshore here, and from that island, I could clearly see Eritrea. I could see Djibouti,
Africa. The African Continent is barely 12 miles, less than 20 kilometers away, just across the sea over there. And that shows you really how narrow
and vulnerable the Bab Al-Mandab Strait is.
Remembering, of course, the Strait of Hormuz was is at least twice as wide as that, but Iran has effectively shut it down. So, you get that sense that
there's a building local war that now has international geopolitical consequence all the way to the White House, and it's happening here.
The Houthis had drones up over the sea we're told by the military today they were trying to make attacks further up the coast. We've witnessed the
aftermath of attacks on the Port of Mokha just up the coast here. There were so many missiles came in, so much destruction. Ships in the harbor
sunk.
A lot of destruction we saw there, and that was the Houthis abilities to project power on this coast, shaping operations, if you were to try to take
the coastline, and that port was closed.
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And that port was closed. That's what's happening here.
ASHER: All right, CNN's Kevin Liptak joins us live now from the White House. So, as we were talking about before, we saw that report from Nic in
the Bab Al-Mandab Strait. You know, you had some relative calm, right, between the U.S. and Iran, and now they're back to trading strikes.
Just walk us through, from your perspective, is this the beginning of further military escalation? Because one of the things that the Trump
Administration talked about was the fact that they were going to be focusing squarely on economic warfare and less so on military.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Right. And I think that is the big question, and it could, at this point, be too early to tell. You
know, we did see this back and forth over the weekend. The U.S. striking what it said were Iranian positions that were about to launch mines into
the Strait.
The Iranians retaliating, although it doesn't appear as if there were any casualties or serious damage done by that retaliation. Now, President Trump
this morning did say in an interview with Fox News that he was going to hit them very hard. There will be a response. We haven't seen it just yet.
And so, we are still left in this position where we don't know whether this will be the trigger that sends the U.S. and Iran back to this tit-for-tat
back and forth attacks, or whether we will return to the relative calm that we have seen for the last month. There is, I think, reason to believe that
perhaps the U.S. doesn't want to see this be what prompts the return to those attacks.
You know, President Trump has made pretty clear that he wants to step back for right now. There is no talk of diplomacy with the Iranians at the
moment. He's instructed his team not to engage in talks until he sees some sign from the Iranians that they're serious about striking a deal that he
can agree to. And it does seem as if the strategy right now is much more trying to tighten that economic noose to try and choke off the Iranian
regime financially.
And it doesn't appear as if there is huge appetite in the White House to return to these back-and-forth attacks in no small part because of the
fears about the dwindling munitions stockpiles that we know have really weighed on the Pentagon and on some of the senior national security
officials in the administration over the course of this summer.
Now, when it comes to the economic strategy here, we have heard this morning from Scott Bessent, the Treasury Secretary. He does insist that the
Iranians are taking some of these sanctions, or at least the threat of sanctions, seriously. In fact, he is attributing that threat to why they
have lashed out kinetically, as he said, over the last 24 hours.
But still, we haven't actually seen the sanctions that were promised go into place. The U.S. says that is threatening some of Iran's trading
partners with these withering financial consequences. But so far, we haven't seen them actually put those into place. Bessent did say that he
met last night with a senior Chinese official. Obviously, China is Iran's largest trading partner, but he didn't specify what specifically they were
talking about, Zain.
ASHER: All right, Kevin Liptak live for us there from the White House, thank you. All right, the situation in Nepal and China is bad and certainly
getting worse. The death toll from the catastrophic flooding continues to rise, as does the number of people who are still missing. The death toll
has now surpassed 900, while almost 5,000 people are still unaccounted for.
In Nepal alone the number of people missing nearly doubled overnight, including almost 600 foreign nationals. The scale of the disaster is
straining efforts to preserve victims' remains for DNA testing. India has deployed more than a dozen forensic scientists to Nepal to help speed up
analysis.
But officials in the southern part of the country have already been forced to bury 199 unidentified bodies. The highest priority right now, according
to officials, is the hundreds of workers believed to be trapped inside the country's hydro power tunnels. Rescue crews are battling brutal terrain,
narrow gorges, and swamp-like ground that heavy equipment cannot even cross. Hanako Montgomery spoke with some of the rescuers facing that
daunting task.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Nepal's mud-filled tunnels, desperate rescues are unfolding. Helicopters lifting survivors to
safety, some too weak to walk. These tunnels were built to harness Nepal's rivers and fuel its booming hydropower industry, but now they're the focus
of a frantic search. More than 900 are still missing. Many of them workers trapped inside when the flood hit.
BHAKTI RAM BOHARA, FLOOD SURVIVOR: Me and my brother-in-law were working in the same tunnel. I lost him. His wife is my sister, and she is pregnant.
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MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Amar Bista (ph) helped rescue these men. He and his team of volunteers trekked through dangerous terrain carrying medical
supplies. And with the help of the Nepali army, they flew to the worst-hit areas, where they used picks and shovels to find signs of life. Sometimes
they found the dead instead.
The rescued men we spoke to say the tunnels were filled with bodies. The flood stripped them of everything they had, including their clothes.
AMAR BISTA, TOUR GUIDE AND VOLUNTEER: All the clothes they lost, all the whatever they have like. They lost their phones. They lost their like you
know everything they lost. You know.
MONTGOMERY: What about -- what about these men? Have they lost family members?
BISTA: They lost their nephew. The lost their uncle's brother, you know, like a cousin.
MONTGOMERY: Everyone's lost someone.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Four days in the mountains have left Amar haunted by what he's seen.
BISTA: Like hundreds of people are there, and no food. Everybody got diarrhea, you know, like nothing. So, I don't -- I don't have a word
because they all are from my area, you know, like I don't know. Nothing else because a lot of people here, they doesn't know the reality. When I
enter there, like the reality is different. We cannot tell. You know, the reality is way different.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): For survivors, now comes the reckoning with what they endured and the enormity of what they've lost. Hanako Montgomery, CNN,
Nepal.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right, let's take a closer look at the humanitarian efforts that are happening now in Nepal. We're joined live now by Ram Kishan. He's the
Regional Director at Plan International Nepal. Thank you so much for being with us.
I mean, the entire world has just really been devastated and really saddened by what happened in Nepal last Wednesday. Just because you're on
the ground, just talk to us about what has surprised you the most about the scale of this disaster?
RAM KISHAN, REGIONAL DIRECTOR, PLAN INTERNATIONAL NEPAL: Thanks, Zain, for me -- having me on the news. I think there is definitely a lot of things
which have surprised. I've lived in Nepal for many years. I worked here for four years in last five years. One of the biggest things that we have seen
is the surprise element of this disaster.
People had no time to react, and usually you will get early warning. There was no early warning that people could rely on. And this just came in with
minutes and seconds, and that people were not able to react to. Second is the scale is huge, and if you just go into some of those affected areas,
you will see nothing left.
The houses have been razed to the ground, the schools have just gone, the health facilities are gone, bridges which are connecting the communities
they have all completely gone. So, I think the scale is enormous, and it is very difficult to really describe the actual impact the people have really
embraced on Wednesday last week.
And they still continue to face with the continued hardship of living in holding areas. Children who have been separated from their families. There
are large number of children who have been rescued from school because this was a working day and they were in the school, and now they are in the
holding area and separated from family.
So, it's very likely that many of them may not have their parents where they can go back. So, the long-term impact on children, communities, and
the overall reconstruction that will be required for building the communities back is beyond imagination.
ASHER: Yeah, I mean, you bring up so many important points. I mean, the first thing you said just about the fact that there was very little time to
react, the sort of suddenness of this disaster. I mean, any natural disaster is terrifying, but when you have something that comes so suddenly,
that really adds to the sheer fear.
And also, the sort of sheer trauma of it as well. When you talk about homes being razed to the ground, bridges and roads being utterly destroyed,
obviously that makes the distribution of aid that much more difficult. We see this with natural disasters time and time again. Just talk to us about
the biggest obstacles now when it comes to distributing aid.
KISHAN: So, if just look at the geography here in Nepal, this has really affected one of the most difficult terrains in Nepal. So, Rasuwa, which is
the northern most district, and then the other districts have been quite remote. These areas anyway were very difficult to access, and now after the
main roads have been cut off and the access roads have been all gone, the biggest challenge now is to reach those who have been in the hardest hit
area.
We had five trucks which were traveling to the relief distribution points yesterday. They couldn't go beyond a point, and then we had to really move
this to the smaller trucks to take them to the alternative routes. And for aid workers, the biggest challenge at the moment is to reach those who are
still stuck in some of those unreached areas.
The rescue operations are on, and people are still waiting for the aid to come because the access is being biggest challenge.
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So, what we are trying to do is trying to use all modes of transport that we can do by small vehicles and by any means that we can take it, so that
we can support those who are in need. It's already six days that people have been affected, and they're little that they can survive on.
ASHER: Six days, six very long days for those in Nepal, but we are still in the early stages. And when you're dealing with a natural disaster, the
response does come in stages. You have the immediate emergency response, which we're in the middle of now. And then you sort of have the next phase.
And this phase is sort of a bit more worrying because it's when the world's attention usually goes elsewhere to other situations that are happening
around the world. And the world becomes less focused on this particular disaster. When we move into the next phase, what do you think the greatest
need will be on the ground in say a month from now, or even two months from now?
KISHAN: Zain, I think you've raised a very important point. I think we also need to realize well the cameras will go off from the ground, and I think
very little attention to the crisis. That's where the real -- the issues that we have to deal with will come in. So, there is definitely a need for
providing the immediate lifesaving support for those who have been affected in this area.
But then as we move on, there will be a need to rebuild the life. There is a need for reuniting the families with the children. There will be a need
to rebuild the livelihood because if you just look at the loss to the agriculture land and the livelihood, it's enormous. I think that need to be
supported.
Rebuilding houses is going to be a big task. Nothing that will require a lot of resources and the global solidarity and resources that need to come
in. The connectivity, which is a big issue. Now the communities have been completely cut off from the markets, access to services and jobs. How do we
rebuild that?
I think therefore it is very important that we keep the long-term recovery in mind and the overall rehabilitation for those who have been affected,
because it's not only going to be over in one week or 10 days. It's not a usual humanitarian crisis. It's going to be a long-drawn response,
recovery, and rehabilitation phase that we all need to be very aware.
And from the day one, Plan International has been planning for all the phases. So, we know that at the moment we need to save lives, as many lives
we can save. Need to move on with supporting with the early recovery for livelihood and for education for children who have been out health support.
But also, to look at the long-term rehabilitation because people won't be able to go back where they were living before. So, we need to look at what
is going to be a livelihood and reconstruction options for them.
ASHER: Yeah, the people's lives going forward are going to look very different. But you know you bring up an important point that right now it's
all about rescuing, trying to find survivors, and also reuniting families that may have many loved ones at times missing.
But then in the next phase, you have to think about livelihood, people's jobs, schools being rebuilt, and that is going to be the longest phase of
recovery. All right, thank you so much for being with us. Ram Kishan, appreciate your work, the work you're doing on the ground. Thank you.
All right, for more information in terms of how you can help those affected by the floods in Nepal, if you feel moved to do so, you can go to
cnn.com/impact. There are lots of resources there on how you can give back.
All right still ahead on "One World", a ferry disaster in the Mediterranean leaves at least eight people dead and more than a dozen missing. The latest
on the urgent search and rescue operation near Cyprus just ahead. Plus, the latest on oil prices as they jump after the U.S. and Iran trade new
strikes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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ASHER: All right, an urgent search and rescue operation is underway in the Mediterranean after a passenger ferry carrying nearly 270 people capsized
on Sunday. The vessel was traveling from the Northern Coast of Cyprus to Turkey when it began taking on water. At least eight people are dead, and
more than a dozen are still missing.
The Prime Minister of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus says the vessel's captain and seven crew members have been detained. CNN's
Nada Bashir has more.
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Given the dramatic videos that we've been seeing emerging from the scene, from the aftermath, showing some of those
passengers clinging onto the side of this capsized ferry, many of them waiting to be rescued are wearing life jackets.
But as we've been hearing from eyewitnesses, from survivors, there were many who also weren't able to get those life vests were jumping into the
sea without any sort of attempt to have them rescued immediately. And of course, there is a huge investigation now underway. As we know, of course,
this has been a deadly accident.
At least eight people killed, according to authorities. But miraculously, some 241 rescued. But at this stage, it is understood that some 18
passengers are still believed to be missing, and this is, of course, an ongoing search and rescue operation. But the fear is that this will become
a recovery operation for the search and rescue team that are currently now scoping out the Mediterranean Sea.
We have seen, of course, some of those rescues underway yesterday. Helicopters picking people up from this capsized ferry onto the nearby
port. And we have been hearing with from authorities with regards to what exactly led or may have led to this accident, this disaster, blaming the
bad weather.
But of course, that will be a central point of the investigation. What led to the ferry capsizing? We have been learning some further details from
eyewitnesses, from survivors who were on board the ferry, saying that they began to see water rising within the vessel, and that actually, when these
concerns were raised to crew members, they weren't taken seriously, at least not immediately.
And that will be hugely troubling for so many to hear. Particularly, of course, the families and loved ones of those who did not survive.
ASHER: A big admission from Iran's President. State media reporting Masoud Pezeshkian admits that the U.S. sanctions are actually hurting Iran's
economy. This, as reports that oil shipments, rather through the Strait of Hormuz, have recovered to two thirds of pre-war levels.
Oil prices surged after the U.S. and Iran exchanged fire over the weekend in what was their first military escalation in a month. Let's see where
Brent Crude, the oil market's global benchmark, stands right now. You see, Brent Crude is up to $90 a barrel. The U.S. benchmark WTI is about $85 a
barrel.
CNN Business Reporter David Goldman joins us live now. So, David, I mean, this is what -- I mean this is the new normal, and it has been the new
normal for us for quite some time. Obviously, we did have a little bit of peace, if I can call it that, for a few weeks, but now we are back to
trading fire between the U.S. and Iran.
Just walk us through what this means for oil prices going forward, especially if this is the beginning of further escalation, David.
DAVID GOLDMAN, CNN BUSINESS SENIOR REPORTER: Yeah, the new normal is you know exactly what the old normal was, I suppose, which is just on again,
off again war. And the oil market doesn't like it when there's a lot of shooting, and it is clear today that we're seeing this 3 percent gain.
But I want to put this into a little context because we've had price swings all month. We were down under $80 at the beginning of the month, and we
were as high as $94 at one point during the month.
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But from the end of July, we're up less than 3 percent. So, you know all of these price swings that we've seen in about a $15 range. We've only
amounted to well we're basically where we were at the beginning of the month, and that is how much oil has flip flopped. And I think a key thing
that you've mentioned is that oil is getting through, and I think that has kept prices significantly lower than you might think.
Now, there are two ships I want to highlight. It's a little hard to see those ships here, so I will highlight those in yellow right here. Those two
ships we can see on satellite data. They're going through the Strait of Hormuz right now, but if you take a look at the transponder data, they
disappear. They're not there.
And then this is basically what we're talking about when we're talking about dark transits, which is the majority of ship traffic going through
the Strait of Hormuz over the past several weeks with the aid of the U.S. military. And you can see that when they're turning their trans funders
back on, on the other side in the Gulf of Oman, you can see these ships lined up side by side.
You can see it a little more clearly here. This orange one is a ship called the Kiku. It's owned by a Greek shipping company. The white one is called
the Electron, and that is a Greek ship that was waiting for the Kiku to get through the Strait of Hormuz. It's going to take this oil out through the
Gulf of Oman into Asia.
And you can see just looking at this voyage of the Kiku when it was last spotted on July 31st, it turned its transponder off, and then this is the
trajectory that it had around the coast of Oman. It gets here and then turns its transponder back on next to the Nave Electron, and then it goes
back through the Strait of Hormuz.
So, they're shuttling back and forth, bringing oil out with the aid of the U.S. military to awaiting ships that are transporting it. This is how oil
is getting through the Strait. And one of the reasons why, even though today we're seeing a 3 percent gain, it really hasn't shifted that much
over the course of the month Zain, this is the new normal.
ASHER: Absolutely. All right, David Goldman, always good to see you. Thank you so much.
GOLDMAN: Thank you.
ASHER: Appreciate it. All right, still ahead on "One World", the U.S. and Venezuela strike a landmark oil deal. We'll get some expert insight into
what that could mean for both countries when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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ASHER: Welcome back to "One World". I'm Zain Asher in New York. Here are the headlines that we are watching today. In the U.S. one person has died
and more than a dozen are missing after a flash flood in the Grand Canyon over the weekend. The area is currently under a flood watch as potential
storms could spell further trouble.
The official death toll from flash floods in the Nepal-China border region has surged past 900. Almost 5,000 people at this point remain unaccounted
for. This as rescue efforts continue across this devastated region to free people trapped in tunnels and buildings as well.
A Las Vegas jury will soon hear closing arguments in the trial of ex-gang Leader Duane Keffe D Davis. He is accused of orchestrating the deadly 1996
shooting of hip-hop Artist Tupac Shakur. Recent weeks, jurors have seen hours of recordings which appear to show Davis actually discussing his
involvement in Tupac's killing. Davis has pleaded not guilty.
The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democrat Republic of Congo has passed a grim milestone. There are now more than 6000 confirmed cases,
according to government data, making it the worst outbreak in the country's history. More than 2,900 people have died. The new strain has no approved
vaccines or treatments yet.
All right, experts are calling for more transparency after Donald Trump touted a massive long-term oil deal with Venezuela, which he says will more
than double American oil reserves. The agreement gives the U.S. control of 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan reserves. The U.S. will take a 55 percent
stake in a new joint venture with a private Venezuelan operator.
The White House says the 100-year oil field lease would create the world's second-largest oil company. The Acting Venezuelan President says Caracas
still retains ownership and sovereignty over its resources.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DELCY RODRIGUEZ, ACTING PRESIDENT OF VENEZUELA: There's something that must be absolutely clear. Venezuela retains ownership and sovereignty over its
resources while utilizing capital technology and operational capacity to support the recovery of a strategic industry that has been severely
affected by sanctions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: All right, let's bring in Journalist and CNN Contributor Mary Triny Mena. She joins us live now from Caracas in Venezuela. Just, I mean, I'm
sure there's a lot of concern among the Venezuelan people about this deal. Just walk us through A, what the reaction has been, and really how this
deal benefits the Venezuelan people?
MARY TRINY MENA, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, this deal took by surprise the majority of Venezuelans. And of course, there's concerns from several
areas, especially the legal standpoint, considering that Venezuelans knew about the agreement on the words of President Donald Trump.
Then Delcy Rodriguez explains some of the areas that are about to be implemented, 17 fields, 65 billion barrels of oil. But this takes quite
some time for Venezuela. According to Delcy Rodriguez, it's an agreement that will impact the coming 25 years in the country. So, for many people
here, they are asking.
Delcy Rodriguez has the ability to do so, considering she is an interim president. This agreement not even was known by the National Assembly of
Venezuela. So, right now, as you may know, Delcy Rodriguez is a temporary president of the country since Maduro was taken out of the country back in
January by U.S. special forces.
Unlike the U.S. Delcy Rodriguez is not an elected vice president. She was appointed by Nicolas Maduro and then supported back by the U.S. to occupy
that position. So right now, they are making these huge deals for the country, and of course they say it will bring prosperity for the country.
But for many people, they are asking if they really have the ability to do that, considering an election. An election is coming to Venezuela. Also,
the shape, the condition of the Venezuela's oil industry is one concern.
[11:35:00]
Considering there are many years of investment, mismanagement, and corruption, according to experts, those are playing a key role. But the
government blames the sanctions on the current state of the oil industry that used to produce 3 billion barrels of oil per day, and now is more than
1 million.
So, it would take time for the country to really get the sense of the productivity or the revenues that this deal could have or impact for
Venezuelans.
ASHER: All right, Mary Triny Mena, thank you so much. Appreciate that. All right, let's take a closer look at this deal with Joseph Majkut. He's the
Director of the Energy Security and Climate Change Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Joseph, thank you so much for
being with us.
I mean, our report on the ground brought up so many important points. But I think the most important part of this is really we don't really know the
terms of this deal. We have no idea what is actually in this contract. Just explain to us how on earth a deal of this magnitude would actually work?
What it would mean for American oil companies and what it would mean for the Venezuelan people?
JOSEPH MAJKUT, DIRECTOR, ENERGY SECURITY & CLIMATE CHANGE PROGRAM, CSIS: Thank you for having me. I think the most important thing to realize about
this deal is that this sort of changes everything about the evolution of the Venezuelan oil industry.
Because now instead of just dealing with chemistry and geology, the U.S. government is saying we're going to have a part to play in the restoration
of this industry. Venezuela historically was an oil powerhouse, as we just heard. It now is producing just over a million barrels a day in a more than
100 million barrel a day market.
To restore that toward 2, 3 million barrels a day is going to take a lot of investment. That investment has been slow to come post the regime change in
January. And now we see the U.S. government trying to play a more active role to help bring oil out of Venezuela into market. That will take years.
It will be a delicate political dance, but it's a very different scenario after the announcements we heard at the end of last week than we were
looking at just you know days ago.
ASHER: And on top of that, I mean, you talk about this being a delicate political dance. I mean, our reporter brought up a very important point,
and that is Delcy Rodriguez is an Acting President. She wasn't elected by any stretch of the imagination. She was sort of installed there by the U.S.
as vice president.
Previous vice president under this regime, that of course a lot of people have issues with as it pertains to democracy anyway. So, you know, thinking
about the sort of long road ahead in terms of Venezuela's political climate, you know, the idea that there could be soon at some point free and
fair elections, hopefully, what will that mean?
The fact that you have this particular president, who wasn't elected, signing this contract with the United States, a future president could
easily withdraw. So, what would that mean for American oil companies and their sort of skepticism about getting involved?
MAJKUT: I don't think we exactly know yet. The terms of the deal are going to be very important to both how the private sector and how the public in
Venezuela and the United States see this deal. Until we get some more details, it's going to be hard for us to see. But what are we going to
watch for in that context?
How much license does the U.S. government really have in the operation or the ownership of these resources versus is it more of a leasing
arrangement? And how is this going to show durable benefits for the people of Venezuela, and deal with the political uncertainty that private sector
companies are going to be really interested in understanding more about?
It will take hundreds of billions of dollars of investment to fully restore the Venezuelan oil economy. That has to come from the private sector, and
of course, they want to have a clear view on the sustainability of these arrangements and the governments in play to make those kinds of
investments.
ASHER: What do you make of some of the promises that the president, the U.S. President, is making in a post on Truth Social? President Trump said
this deal is going to substantially lower gas prices for American taxpayers. What do you -- what do you make of that?
MAJKUT: I think it's unlikely that we'll see substantially lower gas prices because of this deal in advance of the midterm election. Or I have to say,
in the near-term future. There is -- there are a lot of other market effects at play, including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and
restoring at least what we've seen from the announcement last week, 1.5 million barrels would have a meaningful impact on global markets, but it's
going to take years to get there.
Now, does this like new resource and bringing it to market help the energy security everyone around the world, including Americans? Yeah, it could.
And in particular the Venezuelan crude, because of its chemical properties, is very suitable for refinery complexes in the United States.
[11:40:00]
Meaning, it could have a meaningful effect in the in the U.S. But that's going to take years to really see any sort of kind of consumer effect.
ASHER: All right, Joseph Majkut, thank you so much. Appreciate it. All right still ahead on "One World", the Massachusetts jury could soon reach a
verdict in a murder trial that has captured international attention. Details ahead, and what at stake for Lindsay Clancy.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right, we are waiting for a jury in Massachusetts to decide the fate of Lindsay Clancy. Last week, they deliberated for about 10 hours
without reaching a verdict. Clancy does not deny killing her three children in 2023, though she has pleaded not guilty. The defense says that she was
suffering from postpartum psychosis.
Now the jury must decide whether she is criminally responsible. This comes after a month-long trial that included medical testimony and expert
psychiatric analysis as well outside the court room. This trial has put a massive spotlight on maternal mental health. Let's discuss all of this with
Brynn Gingras joining us live now from New York.
As I mentioned, this so much of this case is really not necessarily about whether or not she actually did it, but really about mental maternal
health. Just walk us through what's at stake here.
BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, honestly, it's funny you mentioned that, Zain, because the defense in their closing arguments
brought all of that out, right? The emotion that's tied to what a lot of people feel with this case is that you know maternal health is lacking, and
that it certainly was lacking in the case of Lindsay Clancy, and that was the defense's argument throughout this whole trial.
But then, if you listen to the prosecution, they basically said, look, while that could be true, that's not what's on trial here. The mental
health system is not what's on trial. It's Lindsay. So, it'll be interesting which way jurors sort of interpreted all of the evidence in the
case, and that's what we're continuing to wait on: is what is going to be their verdict.
Now they've been behind closed doors for about two and a half hours today. Of course, they've had time to deliberate on Thursday and Friday. You
mentioned about 10 hours, so we're going into about 12 hours or so. They've only asked for two pieces of evidence.
They asked to see the knife that Lindsay Clancy used to cut her wrists and also her neck before trying to take her own life. And they also asked for
prescription medication bottles.
[11:45:00]
There were two different instances throughout the trial where we actually saw bags of prescription bottles. Remember, throughout her time of seeking
care, she was given more than 12 different types of medications over a four-month period, which is what the defense is arguing she was
overmedicated, and that was part of the reason why she committed these acts.
So again, it'll be interesting to see which jury -- which way the jurors sway, but nobody really knows what's going on inside their minds inside
that deliberation room. But it does seem like they are methodically going through all of this evidence, all through all that witness testimony, to
kind of come to a conclusion here.
ASHER: And just talk to us about really what the sort of defense's main arguments here, Brynn?
GINGRAS: The defense, sorry --?
ASHER: Yeah, yeah. Just about what the defense was saying during this trial?
GINGRAS: Yeah. So, the defense is basically saying that she was, to put it plainly, she was. It's the insanity defense, right? She wasn't with her
right mind when she committed these acts. That she didn't know at that moment the difference between right and wrong. Now the prosecution is
arguing that she did, that she actually planned all this.
She told her husband to go out and run these errands so that she could commit these acts. And it is, you know, there's only a few states in the
United States that actually puts the burden on the prosecution to disprove what the defense is saying when it comes to this criminal responsibility.
So, they need to prove that she wasn't, you know, of right mind or did know right from wrong at the time of those killings. So again, that's on their
burden, and we'll have to see. But the defense certainly, again, making very strong arguments, bringing in an expert witness that is, you know,
world renowned in filicide when it -- that is of a parent taking their child's own life.
A very strong expert, but also the prosecution put up their own experts. So, we'll have to see which way they decide.
ASHER: All right, Brynn Gingras, thank you so much. Appreciate it. All right, still ahead on "One World", thousands of people with red hair are
celebrating their roots in the Netherlands. We'll have more on this annual festival next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right, thousands of people from all over the world gathered in the Netherlands for a once-a-year festival. The event celebrated the one
thing they all have in common: their flaming red locks. CNN's Ben Hunte reports.
[11:50:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN HUNTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Seeing red? That is the beauty of the Red Head Days festival in the Netherlands. It's estimated that less
than 2 percent of the world's population has naturally red hair, and attendees say it's a rare chance to be surrounded by people with similar
roots.
JONI VITALA, FESTIVAL ATTENDEE: I feel, of course, connected to the red community, and I don't see that many red heads in Finland, so it's good to
see all the one, all the -- all of the people here right now.
HUNTE (voice-over): Every year, the Dutch City of Tilburg turns into a sea of ginger, copper, and strawberry. The three-day event draws thousands of
redheads from all around the world for a chance to show off their loves.
MATLIDA HOLBOROUGH, FESTIVAL ATTENDEE: It's just a really cool thing seeing so many people like. It's just really cool.
HUNTE (voice-over): And enjoy music, food, and specialized workshops that cover everything from skin cancer prevention to makeup tips.
EVA RENG-ANDERSON, "HEY REDHEAD" MASCARA: I was inspired to create a product for red heads because we can't find red head mascaras and for
brows, so we made a little makeup booth.
HUNTE (voice-over): Though red is the star of this show, organizers say everyone is invited because the camaraderie and positive energy of the
event is enough to make anyone blend in.
SOFIE DE BEIJER, FESTIVAL ORGANIZING TEAM: You don't have to be a red head to be welcome because we just celebrate the humanness and like the unique
points of human being. We just celebrate it. Yeah.
HUNTE (voice-over): Ben Hunte, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: The Notting Hill Carnival, Britain's biggest celebration of Caribbean culture, kicked off on Sunday in London. The carnival, which is
second only to Rios in size, traditionally takes place on the last weekend in August in London's diverse Notting Hill neighborhood. CNN's Charline
Bou-Mansour reports.
CHARLINE BOU-MANSOUR, CNN CREATOR: So, it's the 60th Anniversary of Notting Hill Carnival. Today is Sunday, the 30th of August, and its day one of the
celebration. It's Kids Day. It's where you'll see kids in the street dressed up with beautiful costumes, colorful feathers. And there will be
some duvet where people throw paint and powder in celebration of the 60th Anniversary.
Tomorrow will also be another day of carnival, so it's over the course of two days. There's approximately 2 million people that fill the streets of
Notting Hill every year. And it's important to say that an event like this, of a scale like this, generates approximately 400 million pounds to
London's economy. That's according to stats from last year.
Now you can see around me, people have been here since the early morning, around 06:00 a.m. People are covered in paint. You can see them walking
past me. You can also see people dressed up in jab-jab costumes, and that's from Grenada. So, every island in the Caribbean has their traditions, has
their festivities that they bring here to the streets of London.
So, it's important for everyone here to celebrate and be a part of something that's much bigger, part of emancipation, part of freedom,
celebrating unity. That's essentially why everyone is here today in London.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, ignition and lift off.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: And with that, NASA's new Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is on its way to uncover the universe's deepest mysteries. This includes how the
universe has evolved and whether humans are alone. It features a 300- megapixel infrared camera that will gather data 1000 times faster than the Hubble Telescope.
NASA says the telescope will take the lead in exploring dark energy and dark matter, and help search for planets beyond our solar system.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JARED ISAACMAN, NASA ADMINISTRATOR: Over the course of the next several months, Roman will travel nearly 1 million miles away from Earth to
Lagrange Point L2 and begin transmitting imagery and data back home that will contribute to world changing science, along with all the captivating
imagery that, like we see from Hubble and James Webb. I have no doubt that Roman will become a household name alongside those great instruments of
discovery.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: All right, before we go, Dolly Parton's name could soon greet travelers flying into Nashville. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has proposed
renaming Nashville International Airport after the country music legend just days after her death at age 80. More than 150,000 fans have already
signed an online petition backing the idea.
The airport authority is going to be taking it up next month, but current state rules technically say that airport properties can only be named after
people who have been dead for at least two years.
[11:55:00]
All right, stay with CNN. We'll have much more "One World" after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
